Date: 21/22nd June 1943
Unit: No. 7 Squadron
Type: Stirling I
Serial: R9272
Code: MG-W
Base: Oakington, Cambridgeshire.
Location: Alfen, Holland
Pilot: Fl/Lt. James Stanley Watt D.S.O. D.F.C. 110643 R.A.F. Age 21. Killed
Fl/Eng: Sgt. David Stuart Donaldson 1127694 R.A.F.V.R. Age 20. Killed
Nav: Fl/Lt. Frederick Arthur George Tompkins D.F.C. 137665 R.A.F.V.R. Age 28. Killed
W/Op/Air/Gnr: Sgt. Arnold John Sutton 1434193 R.A.F.V.R. Age 22. Killed
Air/Gnr: F/O. J.H. Ross D.F.M. P.O.W. Stalag Luft Sagan and Belaria. POW No:1704
Air/Gnr: Sgt. Frederick James Benjamin Dukes 1090679 R.A.F.V.R. Age 21. Killed
Air/Gnr: F/O. M.P. Ellis P.O.W. Stalag Luft Sagan and Belaria. POW No:1696
REASON FOR LOSS:
Took off at 23.40 hrs. from R.A.F. Oakington to attack Krefeld, Germany. 705 aircraft took part - 262 lancaster's, 209 Halifax's, 117 Stirlings, 105 Wellington's and 12 Mosquitoes.
Krefeld was hit very badly with the loss of 1,056 people on the ground killed, 4,550 injured, 72,000 people lost their homes. 47% of the city was burnt out following the dropping of 2,306 bombs.
Not without huge losses to the R.A.F. though with 44 aircraft lost, mostly due to German night fighters. 214 crew members were killed and a further 65 being made P.O.W.'s.
Stirling R9272 was also shot down by a German night fighter. Hptm. Walter W. Milius of Stab III./NJG3 (On det from 2./NLG1) combat took place at 4,200 mtrs. at 01.14 hrs and the Stirling crashed at Alfen, 10 KM South of Gilze-Rijen. Hptm. Milius survived the war with 8 kills on his record.
Fl/Lt. James Stanley Watt D.S.O. D.F.C. was from Argentina - further information follows!
Crew of Stirling R9272 (Courtesy Claudio Meunier)
Fl/Lt. James Stanley Watt D.S.O. D.F.C.(Courtesy Claudio Meunier)
Burial details:
Fl/Lt. James Stanley Watt D.S.O. D.F.C. Runnymede Memorial Panel 122
Son of Charles Alexander Morgan Watt and of Hattie Burdell Watt (nee Benitz), of Buenos Aires, Argentina.
Sgt. David Stuart Donaldson. Runnymede Memorial Panel 147
Son of David Stuart Donaldson and Louisa Nelson Donaldson, of Newtownards, Co. Down.
Fl/Lt. Frederick Arthur George Tompkins D.F.C. Runnymede Memorial Panel 121
Son of Frederick and Alice Maude Tompkins; husband of Edna Madge Tompkins, of Morden, Surrey. A.C.I.I.
Sgt. Arnold John Sutton. Runnymede Memorial Panel 166
Son of Charles Henry and Losis Sarah Sutton, of Long Eaton, Derbyshire.
Sgt. Frederick James Benjamin Dukes. Bergen-Op-Zoom War Cemetery Grave 27.A-7
Son of Elizabeth Brown, of Hull.
We will shortly be making available details where you are able to purchase these superb books by our friend Claudio Gustavo.
Researched by: Claudio Gustavo Meunier (Argentina) Kelvin T. Youngs (A.R. Society)
With thanks to the following: Bill Chorley - "Bomber Command Losses Vol 3", Theo Boiten - "German Nightfighter War Diaries Vol 2", Martin Middlebrook "Bomber Command War Diaries". The C.W.G.C.
